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Organic Gardening Fertilizers; Manures

Organic gardening fertilizers

Today, we are into a discussion of Organic Gardening Fertilizers and Manure. Organic fertilizers are the ones which are taken from the excreta of the animals which can also be termed as manure, human wastes and vegetable wastes such as compost and residues of crops. The fertilizers which occur naturally will include the wastes which are taken from the processing of meat, manure, peat, guano, slurry. If you are into gardening, you must be aware of Organic Gardening Fertilizers. For healthy plant growth and higher yields, you should apply organic gardening fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers advantages:

  • Organic fertilizers will provide the plants with all the required nutrients but in limited quantities.
  • It will help in the maintenance of Carbon and Nitrogen ratio in the soil and also enhances its productivity and fertility.
  • It plays a major role in the improvement of physical, chemical as well as biological properties of the soil.
  • Because of the rise in the biological activity, the nutrients which are present deeper will be provided to the plants.
  • Organic fertilizers will work in such a way that they reduce the loss of moisture from the soil caused by evaporation.

Organic Sources available:

  • Carbon which is present in the soil is an organic matter form. The organic material will be mostly used for the improvement of conditions of soil and fertilization is Farmyard manure, animal excreta, residues of crops, green leaf manures, preparations of microbes, vermicompost preparations, biodynamic preparations.
  • For all the organic matters, carbon dioxide is the one which acts as the main source of carbon. The conversion of carbon dioxide is done to organic form by the photosynthesis process and once it is done, the carbon will not be available for usage in the generation of plant life.
  • Carbon dioxide will include only 0.03% of the atmosphere of the earth. It is being estimated that the vegetation on the surface of the earth will consume about 100 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide per year.
  • As there is very less availability of carbon dioxide, it is always suggested to recycle it. When the plants and animals are dead, then the metabolism will play a major role in the cyclic sequence. The tissues which are dead get added to the soil and get decayed. These then undergo transformation into microbial cells.
  • As per the several stages of decomposition, the organic matter in the soil will become available in different amounts. Farmyard manure is made from the cattle dung and other animal wastes, tissue of animals. Compost is prepared from rural wastes and urban wastes. Green manure and crop residues are combinedly called as bulky organic manures as their content of major nutrients are low whereas the materials like fish meal, poultry manures, an animal meal which contain a higher amount of plant nutrients come under concentrated organic manures.
  • In normal organic manures which consist of up to 2% of Nitrogen come under the bulky category and the ones which have more than 2% of Nitrogen are considered as the concentrated ones.
  • No matter what the source and composition are when the organic matter is added to the soil, it will undergo microbial delay and will become the food for microbes. Even the cells of microbes will act as a carbon source for the next generation of microbes.

Read: Home Gardening Requirements.

Green manures:

  • Green leaf manuring can be defined as a method of ploughing the green plant tissues which are not decomposed into the soil. This is done for the improvement of the fertility of the soil and the physical structure.
  • Green leaf manuring is the main supplementary to organic matter of the soil. The green manure crop will supply organic matter and also some sort of additional nitrogen mainly if the crop is a legume, because of its capability to fix nitrogen from the air by making use of the bacteria in its root nodule.
  • The green manure crops will also take a protective action towards leaching and soil erosion. The green manure has to be put in the soil before the plants start flowering as they are raised for their green leafy material which has a high content of nutrients and protects the soil in a wider way.
  • Green manures will not break the soil rapidly, but slowly, they will add nutrients to the soil for the succeeding crop.

Advantages of Green leaf manures:

Utilizing green leaf manures is very beneficial for crops as well as soil.

  • Green manures will decompose quickly and hence it is very simple to retain the organic matter present in the soil.
  • Green manures play a major role in the improvement of physical properties and chemical properties of the soil.
  • Green manures are the major source of energy to the microbial organisms.
  • They are the source of nutrients to the present crop and also to the succeeding crop.
  • Adding the green manure plants to the soil will serve as mulch and helps in the prevention of soil erosion.
  • Nutrient leaching in the soils which are light can be avoided by adding green leaf manures.
  • Planting green manure plants will help in regulating the weeds.
  • Most of the green manure plants like legumes can be used to minimize the use of nitrogenous fertilizers.

In organic gardening, the options for fertilizers which occur naturally is very less and they are difficult to be found in the stores. Even though there are many organic fertilizer companies, the ones which are available are very costly and we cannot believe if there is really organic content present in them. Luckily, you can make your own fertilizers in an organic way which would be simple and also inexpensive by using the components which you have around your house. To start, you need to have a look at the basic things which help in making a good fertilizer and also traces the nutrients which are required for the plant food which is much more specialized.

The formula for organic gardening fertilizers:

Unless and until you are completely new to the gardening, you would have seen the three numbers which will be listed on the label of most of the premixed fertilizers. Those numbers are the ones which represent the content of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Their important nutrients are required for strong growth of the plants, development of their roots and complete health of the plant respectively. You will need to know about these three components in a clear way as these are important for the creation of good food for your garden. If you are thorough bout the formulas of the organic fertilizers, you can prepare organic fertilizers for a vegetable garden or organic gardening fertilizers for vegetables and fruit garden too.

Trace nutrients:

  • Just like the humans who need proteins, carbohydrates and fats in their food, plants will not be able to live only with Nitrogen, Phosphorus and potassium alone. There are thirteen more elements which should be used to maintain the health and productivity of your organic garden.
  • Putting aside N, P and K, plants will also need Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulphur as secondary minerals.
  • At the time of photosynthesis, plants will make use of sunlight in order to break water and carbon dioxide into Oxygen, Carbon, and Hydrogen and these will act as food. Coppe, Boron, Chloride, Iron, <molybdenum, Manganese, and Zinc are the important micronutrients for the plants and they will need to obtain all these from the soil which is surrounding them.
  • The type of minerals you want to add to your fertilizer is completely based on the type of soil in your garden. The soils which are acidic, that is which has low pH seem to lack macronutrients like N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S whereas the soils which are alkaline, that is which are having high pH which have insufficient micronutrients like B, Fe, Cl, Mn, Mo, Cu, and Zn.
  • The soil of the garden which has neutral pH will contain a very good amount of both macro and micronutrients which will help the plants to grow in a healthy way.

Read: Homemade Hydroponic Nutrient Solution.

Fertilizers for tomatoes:

Calcium is mostly loved by tomatoes. Moreover, the excessive growth of leaves will discourage fruiting and blossoming. Because of this, tomato plants will do their best when provided with a very good amount of Nitrogen. Once the establishment of vines takes place, you will need to change over to a fertilizer which is rich in the content of potassium and phosphorus and has a low content of nitrogen. Tomatoes will also have great advantages with magnesium which produces more sweeter fruit when it is supplied in a gentle way as a secondary mineral.

Fertilizers for rose:

There are very few gardening tips which help in the growth of perfect roses. Roses will require continuous attention to them. You will need to take care of their pruning, weeding, training and moreover, feeding. You will need to get the right fertilizer for your roses as it will have a great impact on the quantity and appearance of your roses. You can use coffee grounds and vinegar to provide acid to the soil, banana peels for the sake of potassium, the remaining water after cleaning fish tank can also be poured to the rose plants as they contain high amounts of nitrogen.

The fertilizers which are created from the wastes:

  • There are many common items which are used in the household which will act as good fertilizers than the waste bin-fillers. When you throw items in the dustbin next time, it would be better if you think of using them for your garden instead.
  • You will need to mix the coffee ground with the waste in the yard such as leaves which are dead and clippings of grass for the addition of nitrogen to the soil. As long as they are being mixed with a neutral soil medium, the pH will not change. This fertilizer will be very helpful for plants like roses, azaleas, and hydrangeas which will love to be in the soil which is acidic.
  • Eggshells are the ones which contain calcium in them up to 96%. When they are used as fertilizer, they will play a major role in strengthening the cellular structure and also help in the transportation of nutrients into your plants.
  • If you are growing freshwater fish, make sure that you are not discarding the water after you clean the fish tank. The water which is used from the fish tank contains a high content of nitrogen and trace nutrients which will help in the improvement of the health of the garden. Make sure that this applies only for the freshwater tanks and salt water will be very harmful to the plants in your garden.

Epsom salt for an organic garden:

  • Epsom salts which are also called as Hydrated Magnesium Sulfate will contain two main elements which are required by plants for the maintenance of perfect health.
  • Magnesium will play an important role at the time of photosynthesis and is needed by plants for good functioning of many processes. Seeds will also require magnesium for the process of germination. Sulfur aids plants will have many functions including production of amino acids, growth of roots and chlorophyll formation.
  • Fertilization of onions, cabbages, and broccoli can be done by using Epsom salts in order to get healthy and tasty vegetables. You can also use Epsom salts for tomatoes, roses, and pepper for the growth to be stronger.
  • As a fertilizer which is generally used, Epsom salt is a cost-effective way which will give your garden a good amount of nutrients. The solution which is made of Epsom salt is the best way to restore the levels of magnesium and sulfur in the potting soil medium which is depleted.
  • You can mix one tablespoon of Epsom salt with one gallon of water. Then, start applying it to the garden plants as a foliar spray once in every 15 days. When you are feeding roses, you can use a tablespoon of Epsom salts per one foot of the height of the plant and mix it with one gallon of water.
  • You can spray it one time in the spring when the leaves start appearing and again after the blooming of roses is done. When you are using Epsom salt for vegetables, you can sprinkle one tablespoon of Epsom salt around the seedling when their transplantation is done.
  • For the plants which are in pots, you will need to dissolve two tablespoons of Epsom salt in one gallon of water and make use of this solution in the place of general watering for one time a month.

Vinegar uses for an organic garden:

White vinegar which is plain is inexpensive and also an effective fertilizer for the plants which love acid such as roses, berries, etc. You can mix one tablespoon of vinegar one gallon of water and make use of this solution instead of watering once in three months. Make sure that you are testing the soil before changing the pH. Most of the plants survive in the environment which is acidic, but you should check if the pH is too low as it is very harmful to the plants.

Composting for an organic garden:

Organic Compost Grinder.
Organic Compost Grinder.
  • Composting is the process in which waste materials are recycled and fed to the garden. This process is becoming very popular these days mainly in terms of organic gardening. The ingredients which will help us make an effective compost are
  • Water and air will help the beneficial bacteria to sustain. These bacteria are the ones which are responsible for the decomposition of the organic matter.
  • Dry brown material which is a source of carbon is obtained from leaves which are dead, dry straw, and other dry waste from garden and yard.
  • Wet green material which is a source of nitrogen such as chicken manure, clippings of grass and plant matter which is a fresh one. You will need to prevent weed seeds in the mixture you are preparing. The compost which you prepared may not be sufficiently hot to kill them.
  • For your composting to be successful, it is very important to maintain the carbon and nitrogen ratio at 30:1.
  • It is very important to cook you compost slowly when there is manure involved as it will kill the pathogens which are harmful and are living in the material which is rotting.

Compost tea:

  • Once the compost is completed, you can add it to the garden directly or you can make it into a tea for your plants.
  • For this, you will need to fill a bucket of 5 gallons with â…“ rd of the compost. Then add water until the bucket is full. You can leave half an inch from the lip of the bucket.
  • The mixture has to be left to steep and stir it frequently. After four days, the compost has to be strained by making use of porous fabric such as cheesecloth.
  • Put back the solid material in the pile of compost or you can also feed it to your organic garden.
  • The liquid which you prepared has to be diluted to about one section of the tea and ten sections of fresh water. The solution has to be applied directly to the ground or it can be applied as a foliar spray.

That’s all gardeners about Organic Gardening Fertilizers!.

Read: Methods of Seed Sowing.

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